US politics

(Tomdispatch.com) – The recent White House decision to speed the deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and other military assets to the Persian Gulf has led many in Washington and elsewhere to assume that the U.S. is gearing up for war with Iran. As in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, U.S. […]

Featured

Firearms are used to Murder 11,000 /yr in US; N. Zealand Banned Semi-Automatic Guns after 50 Killed

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Virginia Beach shooter killed 12 and put at least 4 others in hospital being operated on for their injuries. He shot up the municipal offices where he had been a utilities engineer until being fired recently. He had a long gun but appears to have done most of his […]

Donald Trump

With Trump Doubling down on Yemen War, Will Congress End Imperial Presidency?

The Conversation

R. Joseph Parrott | – The Trump administration on May 24 announced an emergency declaration to sell billions of dollars worth of arms to Saudi Arabia without congressional approval. This comes just a month after Congress passed legislation demanding the halt of U.S. aid for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen against Houthi rebels loosely aligned […]

Constitution

A Wroth Mueller Comes for Nancy Pelosi: Rashida Tlaib is Right

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Bob Mueller measures his words, but he is as Merriam Webster’s thesaurus has it, angered, apoplectic, ballistic, choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed (also enflamed), infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, […]

Donald Trump

Robert Mueller Statement Transcript: If we had Found Trump Innocent, We would Have Said So

Juan Cole

Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered a 10-minute speech from the Justice Department on Wednesday: Transcript: Two years ago, the Acting Attorney General asked me to serve as Special Counsel, and he created the Special Counsel’s Office. The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This included investigating any […]

Pentagon

Bad for Memorial Day, Bad for America: Trump Must not Pardon War Criminals

The Conversation

By Andrew Bell | – As a veteran, I was astonished by the recent news that President Trump may be considering pardons for U.S. military members accused or convicted of war crimes. But as a scholar who studies the U.S. military and combat ethics, I understand even more clearly the harmful long-term impact such pardons […]

Donald Trump

No Fair! Iran Puts their Country Right next to US Military Bases in Gulf

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Trump administration made a grand and empty show Friday of announcing the dispatch to the Middle East of 1,500 US military personnel, allegedly to signal Iran not to attack US troops in the region. Update: Actually, it is 900 new troops and 600 having their deployment extended. I.e. nothing. […]

Pentagon

Our ~8,000 Military Dead in US Mideast Wars: ‘Words sacred, glorious, and sacrifice and the expression in vain’

Andrew J. Bacevich

(Tomdispatch.com) – Earlier this month, I spent a day visiting Marseilles to videotape a documentary about recent American military history, specifically the ongoing wars that most of us prefer not to think about. Lest there be any confusion, let me be more specific. I am not referring to Marseilles (mar-SAY), France, that nation’s largest port […]

Donald Trump

Iran’s Leader, Khamenei, Blasts Pres. Rouhani for Negotiating Nuclear deal with US

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The private Tasnim news agency reports from Iran that in a speech to thousands of university students, Iran’s clerical leader Ali Khamenei made an unusual and extraordinary criticism of president Hassan Rouhani and foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over their handling of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or […]